HUR Confirms Russian Su-57 Explosion at Akhtubinsk Airfield

Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR) confirmed that Russia lost a Su-57 (NATO: Felon) stealth fighter on Thursday, Oct. 29, due to an engine startup failure.The initial report came out on Friday, when a Ukrainian monitoring channel shared a satellite image showing the wreckage of a fighter jet resembling a Su-57 at the Astrakhan region’s Akhtubinsk airfield.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.On Monday, HUR said in a press release that the Su-57 was lost during engine start-up, confirming earlier speculations.The agency suspected subpar jet fuel quality caused the incident.“The Su-57 is equipped with an AL-41F1 turbojet engine (the so-called ‘Izdeliye 117’). One of the reasons why engines of this type can explode or suffer catastrophic failure is poor-quality fuel,” it said.It added that the same fuel is also used by other Russian jets, including the Geran 4 and 5 jet-powered drones, whose usage has spiked since the summer of 2026.“Recall that Jet A-1 is an analog of the Russian-Soviet aviation fuel TS-1 and RT for gas turbine aircraft engines. Jet A-1 fuel is fully compatible and suitable for use by Russian aircraft in service with the aggressor state’s army – MiG-29, Su-34 (NVO), Su-35S, Su-30SM, Su-57, Su-24M, Tu-95MS (MSM),” the press release says.Why is losing a Su-57 a big deal?The Su-57 is Russia’s premier fifth-generation multirole fighter and its most advanced aircraft currently in service.It first flew in 2010, with serial production beginning in 2019 following a troubled development process that included India’s withdrawal from the project in 2018. Other Topics of Interest FSB Accuses 76-Year-Old Communist of Spying for Ukraine A party colleague disputes the FSB’s claims, while local reporting suggests the case may concern a publicly announced pharmaceutical project. The National Interest estimated that Russia had around 32 Su-57s, including prototypes, against the 76 originally envisioned.The Su-57 lost on Thursday made it the fourth Su-57 Russia has lost this year.Subpar jet fuel quality spurred by refinery crisisHUR noted that Russia has imported jet fuel and gasoline from third countries, including India, where the Vadinarsky refinery of Nayara Energy is 49.13% owned by Russia’s Rosneft.Imports rose because Ukraine’s refinery attacks reduced output. Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer, reported a record import of seaborne oil products in August, amounting to several times the total in 2025, before reducing imports by 44% the following month.HUR added that most of the companies involved in the shipments are under foreign sanctions, including OOO RN-Aero, which the agency said supplies jet fuel to the fighter jet’s manufacturer, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).Because of the fuel shortage, Russia also lowered the standard for jet fuel in August, allowing a freezing point of -50°C (-58°F) instead of the previous -60°C (-76°F), according to The Moscow Times.In September, civilian airports in Russia also imposed fuel rations, according to Russian outlet Vertska. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.